Dick Neal Jr.

Richard Marshall Neal (1 October 1933 – 21 February 2013) was an English professional footballer who played as a wing half. He made more than 350 appearances in the Football League,[2] played for Birmingham City in the 1960 Inter-Cities Fairs Cup Final, and won four caps for the England under-23 team.

Dick Neal
Personal information
Full name Richard Marshall Neal[1]
Date of birth (1933-10-01)1 October 1933
Place of birth Dinnington, England
Date of death 21 February 2013(2013-02-21) (aged 79)[1]
Place of death Penkridge,[1] England
Height 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
Position(s) Wing half
Youth career
Dinnington Miners Welfare
1948–1949 Wath Wanderers
1949–1951 Wolverhampton Wanderers
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1951–1954 Wolverhampton Wanderers 0 (0)
1954–1957 Lincoln City 115 (11)
1957–1961 Birmingham City 165 (15)
1961–1963 Middlesbrough 33 (4)
1963–1964 Lincoln City 41 (4)
1964–1965 Rugby Town
1965–1967 Hednesford Town
1967–1968 Brierley Hill Alliance
1968–1969 Blakenall
National team
1956–1957 England U23 4 (0)
Teams managed
1965–1967 Hednesford Town (player-manager)
1967–1968 Brierley Hill Alliance (player-manager)
1968–1969 Blakenall (player-manager)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only

Life and career

Neal was born in Dinnington, which was then in the West Riding of Yorkshire.[3] He came through Wolverhampton Wanderers' nursery club, Wath Wanderers, and then joined the junior ranks at the club. He turned professional in 1951, but failed to break through to the first team. In 1954, he moved to Second Division club Lincoln City, where he played more than 100 league games.[4] While at Lincoln he was first capped for England under-23,[5] and remains the only player to represent England above youth level while at the club.[4] Financial difficulties caused in part by falling attendances forced Lincoln to accept the substantial offer of £15,000 plus player Bert Linnecor from First Division club Birmingham City, and in April 1957 Neal moved on.[4]

He was a powerful player, both strong in the tackle and capable of positive attacking play; manager Arthur Turner brought him in as a replacement for Len Boyd, who had retired through injury after the 1956 FA Cup Final.[6] He made nearly 200 appearances in all competitions for Birmingham, including 165 top-flight League matches and the 1960 Fairs Cup Final,[3] and captained the side in 1960–61.[7]

The next season, he lost his place to Terry Hennessey, so moved to Middlesbrough,[3] where injury restricted his appearances during the two seasons he spent there. He returned to Lincoln, now in the Fourth Division, as captain for another year. He went on to try his hand at management, as player-manager of several non-league clubs in the Staffordshire area, before going into the licensed trade.[3][4] He ran a pub in Penkridge for nearly 20 years.[7]

In 2006, to celebrate their centenary in the Football League, Lincoln City fans voted for "100 League Legends", those 100 players who had represented the club with most distinction; Neal came in at number 42.[8]

Neal was married to Barbara and had three children, Debbie, Richard and Tim. He died in 2013 at the age of 79.[7] His father, Dick Neal Sr., was a professional footballer who played as a winger for Blackpool, Derby County, Southampton, Bristol City and Accrington Stanley before the Second World War.[3]

References
  1. "Dick Neal Jr". Barry Hugman's Footballers. Retrieved 25 April 2018.
  2. "Dick Neal". UK A–Z Transfers. Neil Brown. Retrieved 25 April 2018.
  3. Matthews, Tony (1995). Birmingham City: A Complete Record. Derby: Breedon Books. p. 114. ISBN 978-1-85983-010-9.
  4. "#42 – Dick Neal". Lincoln City F.C. 28 June 2007. Archived from the original on 24 July 2011. Retrieved 25 April 2018.
  5. Courtney, Barrie (27 March 2004). "England – U-23 International Results – Details". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation (RSSSF). Retrieved 7 October 2007.
  6. Matthews, Tony. Birmingham City: A Complete Record. p. 29.
  7. Keogh, Kat (22 February 2013). "Former Blues captain dies aged 79". Birmingham Mail. Retrieved 22 February 2013.
  8. "League Legends – The Results". Lincoln City F.C. 28 June 2007. Archived from the original on 7 August 2011. Retrieved 25 April 2018.
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